Review: Vincenti Ristorante

Last night I had dinner with Jay and his parents at Vincenti Ristorante, on San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. I had never even heard of this place and didn't know what to expect. Upon entering, I was impressed. The decor was clean, modern, and classy. We sat at a table in a more private back room, so it wasn't too loud.

The food was excellent. It was one of the best Italian meals I've had in LA. On the house, we all had an amuse bouche of half of a baby fig topped with micro greens and a dollop of high-quality goat cheese, and seasoned with balsamic vinegar. We ordered a bottle of Syrah (my favorite type of wine) which Jay's dad coincidentally chose because it sounded like my name :)

To start, I had a special appetizer of heirloom tomatoes with burrata. The burrata was of impeccable quality, and the tomatoes were perfectly seasoned with salt, pepper, and a light basil oil. (On a sidenote, burrata is my favorite cheese - it is simply divine. If you haven't tried it, you are truly missing out. According to Wikipedia, burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it a unique soft texture. It is usually served fresh, at room temperature. The name "burrata" means "buttered" in Italian.)

For my entree, I had filet of John Dory with smashed potatoes, black truffles, and crispy artichokes. It was fantastic. The fish was tender and juicy. The potatoes, artichokes, and black truffles combined perfectly with the fish to make a sensational palate of flavors and textures. I ate slowly so I could savor every bite! I was actually sad when it was gone. Finally, for dessert, I had warm molten chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. It was the perfect end to a fabulous meal. And most importantly, I really enjoyed my company.

Review: Echigo

Echigo doesn't look like much from the outside. It is located on the second floor of a Westside LA strip mall, on Santa Monica Blvd near Bundy. Echigo's interior isn't very fancy, either - the decor is sparse and minimalist.

However, the food was truly delicious. Echigo served the best sushi I've had in LA in all of my three years here. The sushi was served on rice with a hint of vinegar. Every piece of fish was extremely fresh and was the perfect size.

I went there last Thursday night with Jay and a few of his friends from work. Little did I know that I wouldn't have any choice in ordering! We all got the Omakase, which I've had once before in Japan. My brother told me that it literally means "trust me", which makes sense - the Omakase comes with 9 or 10 courses of one piece of sushi per course, with an appetizer of sashimi to start. You don't get to choose any part of the menu - it depends on availability and the chef's choices.

The meal was perfect. It was like a carousel of melt-in-your-mouth, delicious, fresh fish. I even tried several types of fish that I had never had before. Unfortunately, I don't remember the names of anything... but I guess it doesn't really matter because the Omakase menu will always vary.

My only complaint was that the service was a bit too fast. That probably seems like an odd complaint... but I think it would've been nice to have a little more time between courses, in order to truly savor each piece of fish.

Review: Good Stuff

After practice with my triathlon team on Saturday morning, we all had brunch at Good Stuff. This place is a local institution, located on The Strand in Hermosa Beach. I'd never been because I rarely go to the South Bay... but I must admit, it was a cool restaurant with a very beachy, bright, laidback SoCal vibe. There were many delicious options on the menu, but I opted for breakfast. Although it was only 10 AM, we had just done a 60-minute speed training run, so I was starving and ready for my second breakfast of the day. I ordered the California Quesadilla: "scrambled eggs with applewood honey bacon, avocado, mushrooms, tomatoes and jack cheese, folded in a flour tortilla, garnished with pico de gallo and sour cream, served with fresh fruit." It really hit the spot - it was an enormous portion that was both savory and sweet. Amy ordered the Good Stuff Breakfast, which came with two eggs, two pieces of sausage, juice, and two whole wheat pancakes. Yum.

So if you're ever in the South Bay for breakfast or brunch, Good Stuff is a great option.

Classic cookies

My favorite cookies recipe is the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. It is a tried and true classic, always a crowd pleaser. I made a batch yesterday for my friend Prairie's party/fundraiser for Team In Training/LLS. I ended up using four different kinds of chips because I didn't have 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I think I used about 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips, and 1 cup of peanut butter and milk chocolate chips. This random chip mixture turned out to be very tasty!

A few of my tips for this recipe:

-Use margarine instead of butter. I find it makes the cookies softer, lighter, and more delicious.

-Use coarse Kosher salt instead of regular table salt.

-Use organic sugar and brown sugar - it really tastes better.

-Leave out the nuts.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Thai Elvis

Palms Thai, otherwise known as "Thai Elvis", is a true LA landmark. If you haven't been, you must go! It is located in East Hollywood, on Hollywood Blvd at Bronson Ave, right near the 101. It is one of my favorite restaurants in LA - a fun and very affordable place with delicious, authentic Thai food, and a Thai Elvis impersonator to boot. I love to go here with a group of friends or before seeing a movie at the Arclight.

Palm Thai has mostly communal seating, and someone is always singing (either Thai Elvis or his sidekick, Thai Cher) so it offers a very festive, busy environment. Although you may have to wait briefly for a table, the service is very fast. The decor is bright, over-the-top, kitschy, and fabulous. My uncle, who has traveled extensively in Southeast Asia, absolutely loved this place, and said it reminded him of Thailand and Indonesia!

As for the food, everything is great and you really can't go wrong. The menu is huge and so are the portions, especially considering their price. When I eat here, I usually get the same dishes - panang curry with beef (comes with a huge bowl of steamed rice) and pad see ew with chicken - because they are wonderfully satisfying. I also tend to order a bottle of Singha, a light Thai beer. My friends, who love spicy food, swear by the watered spinach and a soup whose name escapes me. On my most recent visit, Jay and I shared fried tofu as an appetizer, followed by my usual entrees. It was delicious!

Review: Huckleberry Cafe

I've been dying to try Huckleberry Cafe, the bakery and cafe that opened a few months ago in Santa Monica. Today I had the pleasure of eating breakfast there with my friend Marla, who was visiting LA for a few days. It did not disappoint!

Huckleberry Cafe is owned and operated by husband and wife Zoe Nathan and Josh Loeb, who fell in love while working together at their nearby restaurant Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen (so cute!). Huckleberry offers homemade artisan breads, morning pastries, breakfast items, soups, salads, sandwiches, rotisserie chickens, and deck oven flatbread pizza. All of their produce comes from the local farmer's market, and they only use free range hormone and antibiotic free meat, poultry, and dairy. Although this organic and local focus is not necessarily unique in LA, it always appeals to me.

Huckleberry Cafe has a happy, light, airy, and clean vibe. I would love to sit in there and read for hours. All of the employees were cheery, even at 8AM. More importantly, all of the food looked and smelled fantastic.

The homemade dessert pastries looked simply divine. You can choose from so many delectable treats - cookies, eclairs, mini chocolate cupcakes, chocolate vanilla layer cake, fresh fruit tart, lemon cream tarts, chocolate pudding, ginger cake, banana caramel pie, lemon pousett, chocolate pudding pie, lemon cornmeal bundt cake, layered carrot cake with mascarpone cream, flourless chocolate walnut torte, seasonal crostatas, lemon pistachio cake, and chocolate tart with toasted almonds.

The homemade breakfast pastries were also very tempting, although I did not try any this time. It took all of my power to not order a slice of the old-fashioned coffee cake. Other offerings included: plain croissants, Valrhona chocolate croissants, specialty croissants, Niman Ranch maple-bacon biscuits, whole wheat fruit slices, muffins, crostatas, teacakes, bread pudding, scones, frittata, and donuts.

For breakfast I had the fried egg sandwich with sunny side up eggs, Niman Ranch bacon, gruyere, arugula, and aioli on country bread. It was perfect - sweet and savory, with great textures from the different ingredients. I especially loved the eggs, which began to run once I bit into the sandwich. I was able to use the bread to sop up the yolk. Yum :) Marla is vegetarian and wanted something simple, so they made her a tomato and cheese sandwich on a homemade English muffin. Very tasty.

There were so many other items that I wanted to try on the menu... I guess I'll just have to go back!

Review: BLD

Although BLD is one of my favorite restaurants, and has been around for several years, some of you may not know it. BLD stands for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and this place does each meal perfectly. BLD is located in the Beverly Corridor, and is owned by Neal and Amy Fraser, who also own Grace, another great restaurant that is located just a few blocks east.

We went to BLD for dinner last Saturday night, and as usual, had a delicious meal and a wonderful time. To start, my friend Luis got his standard cheese plate, which comes with an assortment of self-selected cheeses, toasted raisin walnut bread, baguette, fig cake, quince paste, fresh fruit, and spiced marcona almonds. We got two bottles of tasty Syrah for the table. Jamie and I shared a special salad, which had shaved artichokes, fava beans, frisee, and manchego cheese - so yummy. Jay had tomato soup with herbs. I honestly don't remember what anyone else had as an appetizer... I was already a bit tipsy by then!

For entrees, Jamie had a veggie burger with grandma's piccalili, homemade pickles, and fries. Andy had a grilled beef burger with cheese, homemade pickles, and fries. (BLD has an assortment of fancy, unique burgers.) Jay and I both had seared scallops with fresh pea risotto, pea tendrils, and carrot nage (which, in my opinion, is the best entree on the menu). Sadly, I don't remember what Amy and Luis had for their entrees, but I know they enjoyed their food.

On a sidenote, one of BLD's most innovative offerings is the self-constructive dinner. You choose a protein from the following: grilled free range half chicken, grilled flatiron steak, grilled salmon, and hemp seed crusted tofu. Then you choose two sides and one sauce from the following options: fresh polenta, roasted fingerling potatoes, french fries, garlic rapini, kale, brussel sprouts, wild mushrooms/ basil pesto, lemon butter, red wine sauce, garlic nage.

For dessert, I always get the same thing - it is so divine that I must order it every time I go to BLD. So I shared the homemade crepe with nutella and bananas with Amy, Jay, and Luis... although, of course, I ate the vast majority of it myself!

In sum, BLD is one of the best restaurants in LA! You should definitely try it... especially for brunch and for dinner :)

Food Sites

Here are some of my favorite websites about food. I subscribe to all of them... I get weekly blasts from Food Network and Epicurious, while I get daily blasts from Tasting Table LA. These three sites are exclusively about food; the former two focus on recipes while the latter site focuses more on restaurants, food festivals, and other local openings and events.

I'd also recommend subscribing to Thrillist, Urban Daddy, and Daily Candy. These three sites, while not exclusively about food, keep me up-to-date about local happenings involving, among other things, food, fashion, entertainment, bars, and spas. Many of the daily emails from these sites focus on restaurant openings. These blasts help me keep my list of "new places" updated, mostly for whenever my parents come to visit :) Enjoy.

Review: Tavern

I had the pleasure of enjoying a delicious meal at Tavern on Tuesday night (thanks J)! This new restaurant in Brentwood is a joint venture between Suzanne Goin of AOC and Lucques (two amazing restaurants right near my place in WeHo) and Caroline Styne. For the past few weeks, I've been getting emails about Tavern from DailyCandy, Thrillist, Urban Daddy, and Zagat's, as it just opened recently. So you can imagine, I was really excited to try it.

Tavern is located in the old Hamburger Hamlet space in Brentwood. We used to have Board meetings there for the U of M Alumni Club of LA, and let me tell you, it was a dumpy, gross restaurant. I barely recognized it as Tavern - they made it into a truly beautiful dining space! Tavern has an opulent yet comfortable atmosphere. There are three main areas, including the larder/bakery with large windows and a view into the kitchen, the lounge/bar area with luxurious plush chairs and couches, and a stunning dining room atrium with high, vaulted ceilings, mirrors, and real trees.

We were seated at a table right next to Tyra Banks, who was out with some friends. That was pretty cool for me - not growing up in LA, I still get excited about celebrity sightings. Another one to add to my list! Back to the meal - we ordered a bottle of Syrah, which was so yummy. As for the menu, I had actually studied it online beforehand, so I knew what I wanted to order. In my opinion, the menu was just right, as it had enough choices to be interesting without being overwhelming (just like the menu at Lucques). Given my obsession with burrata (creamy mozzarella), I ordered spring vegetables with burrata, olives, and meyer lemons as my appetizer. It did not disappoint! I literally cleaned my plate. J had diver scallops with green garlic soubise and tangelo. He really liked the scallops but was not in love with the greens. I tried the greens and liked them though :) Maybe men just don't like vegetables?

For my entree, I had mussels and clams with vermouth, artichokes, and fava toast. This dish was truly delectable. The mussels and clams were cooked perfectly, flavored with the dish's broth but not overwhelmed by it. Under the mussels and clams and partially in the broth were some tasty mashed potatoes. The artichokes were a nice addition, both in terms of flavor and texture. I loved the juxtaposition of textures! I also loved the fava toast, because it was unique and because I could dip it into the broth. I, of course, finished everything on my plate. J had Niman Ranch hangar steak with creamed spinach and fingerlings. It was a rich, creamy dish, with strong flavors. He was not in love with it, but I really liked it (big surprise, I know). I even had the leftovers for lunch on Wednesday and they really hit the spot!

No room for dessert because we were so full from the meal and from the bottle of wine. Maybe next time.

In sum, I loved this restaurant and would really like to go back - maybe I will take my parents when they visit LA this summer. The dining environment was lovely, the service was excellent, and the food was fantastic. Tavern gets an A+ for being simple, elegant, fresh, and innovative.

Review: Orris

Orris is an Asian fusion tapas restaurant in Los Angeles' famous Sawtelle corridor. Surrounded by numerous other Japanese restaurants, this place is arguably one of the best. Upon entering, you can sense immediately Orris's cozy, warm ambiance. The servers were friendly and helpful. I've always loved tapas because I find it is really enjoyable to sample several different small plates, instead of being limited to an appetizer and an entree. We started with beets with basque sheep milk cheese and balsamic sauce, which came with a tasty white wine pairing. This salad was delicious because it had the perfect blend of salty and sweet. We also had curry-infused shrimp tempura with sea salt. This dish was perfectly breaded and fried so that the tempura was light and airy, just like it was in Japan. After this, we had grilled king crab leg with cucumber, and prime filet mignon skewer with Roquefort butter, both of which were very tender and nicely seasoned. Our last dish was shrimp mousse ravioli with shiitake mushroom sauce, which was silky because the creamy sauce was not overpowering. We also had Pinot Grigio and Malbec wine pairings with several of these dishes. Finally, for dessert we had a fruit flambee dish with ice cream. I loved the combination of hot and cold.

Overall, this restaurant was excellent. It is a great date spot. I would love to go back to try more items on the menu!

Review: Wurstkuche

Wurstkuche is a hip restaurant in downtown LA's historic Arts District, near Little Tokyo. It is located on a very cool, up-and-coming block along with several other restaurants and bars. Wurstkuche serves sausage sandwiches, Belgian fries with homemade dipping sauces, 24 imported beers on tap, and a selection of gourmet sodas. The restaurant does not look like much from the outside, but once you go inside, you are greeted by a buzzing crowd and delicious smells. You can pick from a wide selection of normal, gourmet, and vegetarian sausages, along with toppings such as caramelized onions and sweet peppers. Wurstkuche also has an impressive selection of tasty German and Belgian beers on tap, including two of my favorites, Chimay and Delirium Tremens. This simple food and beer combo is very satisfying, and it is fun to eat in a restaurant with a lot of communal seating. I highly recommend this place, either for a date or with a group of friends!